|
Post by marc on May 20, 2008 19:12:24 GMT -5
I'm sure by now that everyone has heard the story. Pistorious is a para-olympian with some pretty impressive times. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistorius#Time_comparisonsHe also has carbon-fiber legs that reduce much of the wind-resistance and fatigue as well. However, he lacks the musculature of the lower legs that most sprinters would have. With that said, do you think that he has an advantage due to his "modified limbs" or should he be eligible to complete in the Olympics? I believe that this also applies to Tatyana McFadden on the state level. Just wondering what some of the opinions were on runners competing with some kind of performance hindering/benefiting aspects. For the record, I don't want this to be misconstrued for insensitivity, but I honestly don't believe that they should be able to compete. Pistorious uses carbon-fiber legs (interestingly enough called "cheetah legs") that have more wind resistance. Any runner that has ever done a speed workout notices the effects that lactic acid has on your lower legs. His thighs are still intact, but he is a double-leg amputee below the knee. That is removing a lot of muscle. In McFadden's case, it is slightly different. I don't believe that she should be excluded because of her disability. She, too, is a para-olympian. For no reason should she be excluded. But, she doesn't need to be counted into scoring or running with the "able-bodied" runners. Ernst Van Dyk won the Boston Marathon because he is arguably the best wheelchair racer in the world. McFadden hasn't gained this status, but she was second in the 100m. The time was nothing amazing for an "able-bodied" runner. She should be allowed to race with them, however she isn't technically running. It seems that no one remembers the 2006 State Championships either. Any other opinions on this issue?
|
|
|
Post by tommy on May 20, 2008 19:51:19 GMT -5
Pistorius is a tough call for me because despite the artificial legs, at least he is still running. The motion and technique is the same as an able-bodied runner, and he's using legs, just half of them are artificial. I think the benefit of the artificial legs is offset by the detriment of not having natural lower legs, if that makes any sense. McFadden is entirely different. She isnt running at all, and I think what she does has no part of track and field with people who are running. She doesn't even use her legs, she competes with her arms. She's on wheels and doesn't even compare to someone running. She reaches speeds of around 40+ mph depending on the distance, while a runner would be about half that. This isnt even mentioning the other discrepancies in the way she is handled at meets compared to all the other athletes. I think it's fantastic the state is trying to find arenas for disabled athletes to compete, but in this case, they should not be mixed with the able-bodied. The wheelchair specific events are great, putting wheelchair athletes in with everyone else is not.
|
|
|
Post by kevinspradlin on May 20, 2008 20:18:12 GMT -5
Same field or not, separate scoring. Period. Otherwise, why wouldn't the wheelchair race winner of the Boston Marathon be declared the overall winner?
I, too, am concerned about public perception with a stance like this. This is not a slight against disabled athletes. In fact, I don't even like the term "disabled" paired with "athletes" because most of them can outperform me anyway (not that I'm the standard). And some people will insist on twisting staements such as mine into some anti-disabled athlete crusade.
They couldn't be further from the truth, of course. My personal feelings are that less than full-bodied athletes are pretty darn hard-working, dedicated ... much like full-bodied athletes. They simply have different factors that should be considered in competition. Sport is so finely governed to ensure a level playing field ... that I simply do not understand how one can argue those with artificial limbs or, just as - or more - drastically, racing with wheels, is equal?
|
|
|
Post by flyinghighrunner on May 21, 2008 5:42:22 GMT -5
Never realized something like this was going on.....it shouldn't be an issue really and I'm surprised there isn't some bylaw on the state books for it. I'm all for competing vs able bodied in the same meets (if reasonably safe), but not for scoring purposes, and definitely not at a state meet where I wouldn't feel her eligible to be all-state, even if she qualified, because it would be taking a spot from someone who is eligible. I wonder what NCAA rulings are on this....
|
|
|
Post by flyinghighrunner on May 21, 2008 5:46:04 GMT -5
as for the artificial limbs arguement.......I'm on the edge on this one.....both scientific studies that have recently been done on the limbs Pistorius uses have clashed, but I think it is so close to no mechanical advantage (if he does have one) that he should be allowed. Future prosthetics should be tested in the same manner. Saying all this, he has a level head and stated himself he doesn't believe he can hit the A standard to qualify this year, maybe for 2012, based on his current training levels. Of course, he can still be selected for his nations 4x400 team if they are in the top 12 qualifying times
|
|
|
Post by frojoe23 on May 21, 2008 8:13:20 GMT -5
I fully expect to see Pistorius in the Olympics. I don't know if he'll hit the standard in the open 400, but I believe he will be named to the 4x400 relay. Simply because of the fact he is a human interest story. The Olympics is about more than sport - a lot of it is just greed and corruption by the IOC and individual countries Olympic Federations. I see the South African Federation using Pistorius to their advantage.
Should he be allowed in the Olympics? No. Only because he has an unfair advantage with his "cheetahs". If he didn't have an advantage, then I'd be fine with letting him in, but there needs to be a level playing field. I don't care how many scientific studies they do to determine if he has an advantage. All it takes is common sense. He is the only "elite" athlete that can negative split a 400 at race pace. Michael Johnson never did it, Jeremy Warner has never done it, and Butch Reynolds never did it. It seems logical that if the best able bodied athletes can not negative split a championship 400, but yet Pistorius can (at a comporable pace), then his "cheetahs" are returning more energy than the legs of the able-bodied athletes. Remember, splits never lie and that is where this discussion should end.
As for McFadden, I believe that the state is moving in the right direction, but right now are a little misguided. It would be great to have wheelchair races at the state meet, but I think that Ned Sparks and the MPSSAA have been sued about 4 or 5 times by McFadden's family so she gets to pretty much do what she wants. I think that she does pose a risk to others in the events she is running in. Just for me, I know that running the Hyndman race last year, there were a couple of times that the bikers in the race almost clipped me.
|
|
|
Post by burgrunner on May 21, 2008 10:26:09 GMT -5
Here is an interesting article on the subject: sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=keown/080520A few excerpts from the article that seem to sum up a lot of people's feelings; Should he be allowed to compete? Of course not. This really isn't that difficult. Pistorius is running on artificial legs, wonders of technology instead of flesh and bone. It's simply not the same. If a legless swimmer showed up at a meet with carbon-fiber flippers, would that be all right? If a legless high-jumper used spring-loaded Cheetahs, would that be allowed? The truth is, Pistorius has an event, and it's called the Paralympics. It's not an insult to him to suggest that he compete in that event rather than the Olympics. The Paralympians are amazing -- usually more amazing than their able-bodied counterparts. Pistorius is a fantastic athlete, and his story is a hell of a lot more gripping than the average professional athlete's. His accomplishments are vital; those of the able-bodied are merely inspirational. So yes, it's a great story. Just not an Olympic story.
|
|